LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Attorneys said the Clark County School District failed to protect one of its students from an antisemitic attack, and a reward is being offered for any information that leads to a conviction.
On March 9th a 17-year-old Jewish student who is autistic and non-verbal was attacked, according to the Lawfare Project.
“A swastika, which is a Nazi hate symbol, was carved into this child’s back. And clearly, this is an antisemitic hate crime,” Brooke Goldstein, executive director of the Lawfare Project, said. They are representing the teenager.
Goldstein said he had a shadow assigned to guide him around Clark High School.
In a statement to 8 News Now, the Clark County School District stated that “Police conducted a thorough investigation, including interviews with staff and a review of available camera footage. the investigation found no evidence that would indicate the origin of the injuries.”
Goldstein disputed those findings and said the fact the perpetrator remains at large is traumatizing for the family.
“So far to date, the investigations have at the very least fallen incredibly short of what should happen,” Goldstein said.
Sam Ryan Heidari saw the photo of the teenager and it spurred him to offer a $5,000 reward for any tip that leads to an arrest and conviction.
“That’s disgusting and disturbing, a kid that cannot talk and communicate and went through such a horrific situation,” Heidari, who is an attorney based in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, said.
According to data from the Anti-Defamation League of Nevada and Arizona, there were 30 reported incidents of antisemitic attacks in Nevada last year. That’s down from the previous year.
Yet, the ADL’s regional director Jolie Brislin said the numbers are still concerning.
“When we see a rise of antisemitism taking place, we see a rise of racism, of anti-immigrant, of anti-Asian, anti-LGBT hate,” Brislin said.
Brislin said the ADL is working with Clark High School and CCSD to provide antisemitism and anti-bias education.
If anyone has information on this incident, you’re encouraged to call the Heidari Law Firm at 702-999-7777 or contact Crime Stoppers of Nevada at 702-385-5555.
